PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – In a match played three days after it was originally scheduled, the Hampton University volleyball team fell in straight sets to Maryland Eastern Shore Tuesday evening in the W.P. Hytche Athletic Center, as the Hawks won 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-20).
 
The Lady Pirates fell to 0-16 overall and 0-3 in MEAC play this season.
 
Lena Washington had nine kills, marking the third straight match in which she's recorded at least nine kills, to lead the Lady Pirates, while also racking up nine digs and three blocks. Reeana Richardson added seven kills and digs.
 
Kyndall Nicholas had a career-high eight blocks. Brianna Lilly (13) and Alexandra Erhart (12) combined to record 25 of Hampton's 27 assists.
 
UMES hit .186 for the match, while Hampton hit .130.
 
The Lady Pirates held a 12-9 edge in blocks.
 
Both teams had their best hitting performances of the night in the first set, though the Hawks hit .300 in the opening frame. UMES led 6-4 early on in the set before the Lady Pirates scored the next four points to take an 8-6 lead after a kill from Washington.
 
Nicholas and Allysa Medina later paired on a block to put Hampton up 9-7, but the Hawks answered with a 6-2 run to take a 13-11 lead. The two teams then traded points throughout several rallies, before Hampton cut the lead to 17-16 on a Medina kill.
 
But UMES closed the set on an 8-3 run to win the first set.
 
The Hawks again led early in the second set, 7-6, before the Lady Pirates scored the next five points. Washington had two kills and a block during that run, which gave Hampton an 11-7 lead. Later in the set, Nicholas blocked a UMES attack to give the Lady Pirates a 15-11 lead.
 
A Richardson kill later put Hampton up 17-12.
 
Another Richardson kill gave the Lady Pirates a 19-14 lead, before UMES fought back with four straight points to cut the gap to 19-18. Medina ended that run with a kill, before a UMES error and a service ace from Asya Patterson gave the Lady Pirates a 22-18 lead.
 
UMES ended the set, though, by scoring seven of the last eight points to steal the frame.
 
A block from Erhart and Tatyana Thomas early in the third set cut UMES' lead to 4-3 before the Hawks scored the next three to take a 7-3 lead. Hampton responded with the next four points, tying the set at 7-7 following an ace from Richardson.
 
The Hawks then went on a 7-0 run to take a 14-7 lead before a Thomas kill stopped the streak.
 
In fact, UMES ultimately jumped out to a 19-10 lead after a 4-2 spurt before the Lady Pirates went on a 7-2 run of their own. Back-to-back blocks from Thomas, the first coming in tandem with Richardson, cut the Hawks' lead to 21-17.
 
A Washington kill later cut the lead to 22-19. UMES scored the next two points to force match point, but another kill from Washington momentarily staved off the end of the match.
 
But UMES scored the next point to take the set and the win.
 
Kirstin Fink led UMES (12-3, 1-1 MEAC) with nine kills.
 
The Lady Pirates will be in Washington, D.C. on Friday to take on rival Howard at 7 p.m. For more information on Hampton University volleyball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.